How can we ensure inclusive and equitable developmental conditions for each and every child to thrive? This is the overarching question that my research seeks to address. Deeply rooted in my personal and practice experiences, my research has focused on two areas of inquiry: (1) understanding and explaining social inequalities as manifested in children’s social and emotional development and well-being outcomes, and (2) building an evidence base for universal preventive interventions that are effective, equity-enhancing, and sustainable in real-world practice settings.

My current research projects are centered around school-based social and emotional learning (SEL) for both students and educators in East Asia. I am leading the SELASIA+ research lab, which stands for “SEL for Adults and Students In Asia and beyond” (https://www.selasia.org/). We are working on various research projects including scale development and validation; program development, implementation, and evaluation; survey and interview research; and large-scale secondary data analysis. Through active collaborations with school districts and community partners, my research aims to generate rigorous and actionable evidence to promote positive school climate and the well-being of both students and educators across diverse educational contexts in East Asia. Beyond Asia, I also collaborate with the CalHOPE Student Support Project, a state-wide systemic SEL initiative in California.

I am currently serving as an expert panel member for the OECD Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (Round 3) and as an editorial board member for Social and Emotional Learning: Research, Practice, and Policy published by Elsevier (eISSN: 2773-2339). I have been selected as a CASEL Weissberg Scholar for the 2025-27 Cohort.

I joined the University of Hong Kong in 2022 as an Assistant Professor of the Department of Social Work and Social Administration. I earned my Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Social Welfare at Seoul National University, and completed a PhD in Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley.